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Family Sheet
HUSBAND
Name: William Calhoun KeithMale Note
Born: 6 Feb 1836 1836-2-6 at Oconee Co., SC Oconee Co., SC
Married:
Died: 7 Feb 1889 1889-2-7 at Walhalla, Oconee Co., SC Walhalla, Oconee Co., SC
WIFE
Born: 28 Dec 1842 at Oconee Co., SC
Died: 11 Aug 1893 at Walhalla, Oconee Co., SC
Father: Samuel Reid
Mother: Isabelle Caroline Thomson
CHILDREN
Born: 22 Apr 1866
Died: 28 Sep 1908
Wife: Mary Thompson
Name: Thomas Reid Keith
Born: 2 Apr 1872
Died: 11 Aug 1952
Name: John Reid Keith
Born: 15 Sep 1878
Died: 3 Jun 1902
Born: 12 Oct 1881
Died: 7 Mar 1974
Husband: Walter Dickson Moss
Name: George Reid Keith
Born: 12 Oct 1881
Died: 25 May 1908
Name: Charles Reid Keith
Born: 1884
Died: 1885
Name: William Reid Keith
Born:
Died:
Name: Caroline Thompson Keith
Born:
Died:
Name: Lidie Reid Keith
Born:
Died:
NOTES
1). Had nine children Colonel William Calhoun Keith, late a distinguished lawyer, anableeditor, and a highly esteemed citizen of Walhalla, B.C., was borninwhat is now Oconee county, B.C.,February 6, 1836. He received agoodelementary education, one of his teachers being the Rev. J.L.Kennedy,an eminent educator of that day. Later he pursued his studiesfor ashort time at Furman university, after which, in 1853, he enteredthefreshman class of South Carolina college. He had ascontemporariesthere such men as Hon. M.C. Butler and Capt. H.L.McGowan, butnotwithstanding such famous competitors, he stood at thehead of hisclass. He graduated in 1857 and at once entered upon thestudy of lawwith his brother, Col. E M. Keith, of Pickens, S. C. Heafterward readlaw a few months in the office of judge J.J. Norton. Inresponse tothe call for troops by the state of South Carolina, heentered theConfederate service July 18, 1861. taking rank as sergeantin CompanyA, Orr s regiment of rifles. He was subsequently electedlieutenant ofhis company, and was finally made adjutant of hisregiment, whichposition he held until he was captured near the closeof the war. Fora considerable time after Lee s surrender he sufferedin a northernprison. Throughout his entire military career he servedhis country with distinguished zeal and patriotism, maintaining thatsamepopularity which characterized his whole life. At the close ofthewar he resumed his law studies, and was soon admitted to the bar.Heshortly afterward formed a law partnership with the Hon. J.P. Reed.Inpoint of brilliancy and effectiveness in his profession, his recordasa lawyer been surpassed and rarely ever equaled in the state. Inthepursuit of his calling he gained both honor and competence. No manhadgreater strength or influence before a jury, and his legalbrethren,both at the bar and upon the bench, were delighted andinstructed bythe ingenuity of his arguments and his profound knowledgeof the law.His success at the bar was due to his marked sagacity, hissearchinginvestigation of all cases intrusted to his care, hiscorrectconclusions, and the clear, forcible and logical manner inwhich hepresented them to the courts. Throughout almost hisentireprofessional career he was a resident of Walhalla, at whichplace hedied, and at the bar of which he was the recognized leader.Hispractice, however, was by no means confined to Oconee county.Hisfame as a successful advocate became wide spread, and with ithispractice grew until it extended over a considerable portion ofthestate. Though skilled and accomplished in every department of thelawit was in the practice of the criminal branch that he wasmoreparticularly strong and effective. As a criminal lawyer he wassecondto none in the state, and he had few, if any, peers. He defendedmorethan twenty persons for murder, all of whom were acquitted.Learned,eloquent, logical, his pleas for the lives of his clientsalwayscarried conviction to the minds of the jury. His advocacy waschar characterized by a thorough knowledge of the law, a quick anddirectapplication of the law to the evidence, and it was strengthenedandenriched by apt and effective illustrations drawn not onlyfromfamiliar scenes in life, but also from the broad fields of ancientandmodern history. Not only did he distinguish himself at the bar,butalso during his brief, yet brilliant, career ,did he displaysuperiortalent as an editor and a politician. For nearly twenty yearspriorto his death he was one of the editors and proprietors of theKeoweeCourier, and though the circulation of this paper was confinedchieflyto Oconee county, he wielded an influence in its editorialcolumnsthat was felt throughout the state. He gained a finereputation as awriter for the press. and though bold and fearless ingivingexpression to his opinions, he was always considerate of thefeelingsand positions of those who might differ from him. He wasneverpersonal nor offensive, but wielded a trenchant pen withmarkedability, and it is safe to say that had he devoted his wholeattentionto journalism he would have acquired both honor andprominence in thejournalistic field. Throughout his entire careerCol. Keith was aconsistent democrat he was one of the leaders of thatparty in theupper part of the state, and exerted a strong influence,both inprivate councils and upon the stump. Shortly after the closeof thewar he was elected to the lower branch of the state legislature,andrendered good service to his constituents in that body. He was oneofthe few members who voted against what was then known as the BlackCode, the passage of which contributed much to forcere constructionupon the south. He was appointed by Gov. Orr colonelof a militiaregiment, but re construction soon followed and themilitia was notre organized. In 1868 Pickens district was divided intwo, and fromthat portion of it now known as Oconee county, Col. Keithwas sent tothe house of representatives in 1869. He was re elected tothe house,after which he was elected to the state senate, where he didfaithfuland effective service for four years. He was returned tothelegislature as long as he would consent to be a candidate, andwasrepeatedly urged to represent his county in that body after hehaddetermined to retire. For many years he ably filled thechairmanshipof the democratic county committee, and from that positionalso, hevoluntarily retired. During the memorable campaign of 1876, heheldthat position and exercised a powerful influence towardharmonizingand unifying the democracy of the county. Col. Keith was amember ofthe Methodist church. He was deeply imbued with thereligiousfeeling. His home was always open to his friends, and theministersof all denominations were cordially invited to the enjoymentof hisgenerous hospitality. He contributed liberally for churchpurposes,and to promote the moral improvement of the people. He was amemberof the Masonic fraternity was a full man, an exact man, andevery onewith whom he came in contact, whether his ally or opponent,knew andfelt him to be a man of superior talents, a profound reasoner,abrilliant lawyer, and a capable and fully equipped man of affairs.Butit was his inborn honesty and manly congeniality that endeared himtoall whose pleasure, and privilege it was to enjoy hisacquaintance.The father of Col. Keith, Major William L. Keith, servedfor nearlythirty years as clerk of the court in Pickens district Keithdied athis home in Walhalla, February 7, 1889, and was interred intheBaptist cemetery of that place, in which an appropriate monumenthassince been erected to his memory by his wife. Her maiden namewasElizabeth M. Reid, daughter of Samuel Reid, Esq., and ex sheriffofPickens district. She still survives, and together with ninechildrenleft to her sole care upon the death of her distinguishedhusband,occupies the family residence in Walhalla. She proved to be amostworthy helpmeet to her illustrious companion, and her devotion tohimwhile living, though of the most tender and affectionate character,did not surpass her constancy to his memory since his death.
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